Booster club to raise $800K for Clark Field House rennovations

Tuesday
Jan 9, 2018 at 12:01 AM Jan 9, 2018 at 12:06 AM

Michaele Niehaus

Clark Field House may get a new name to go along with its new locker rooms.

Jerry Sherwood, president of the Purple and Gray Foundation, told the Burlington School Board Monday the booster club plans to move forward with the third phase of its plans for Bracewell Stadium, which will involve renovating the locker rooms inside Clark Field House as well as adding new ones.

The first phase included a new video scoreboard, LED lights, the press box and concession stand. That phase was completed in 2014. The second phase consisted of renovations to the entrances, retaining walls, Field Turf, a water feature and Victory Bell Plaza. Those phases were complete in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

The third and final phase will cost an estimated $800,000, but none of that will come out of the district's pocket. The Purple and Gray Foundation will raise the money.

"Those locker rooms are exactly the same as when I was in school," said Sherwood, who graduated before the current Burlington High School was built. "Basically, this needs to be done. So, with that in mind, we're proposing that the Purple and Gray does this work."

An additional locker room for visiting teams will be built on to Clark Field House directly north of where the public restrooms are, and the existing locker rooms will be expanded for home teams.

Superintendent Pat Coen pointed out the renovation plans will bring the building, which had the most Office of Civil Rights violations due to lack of accessibility, into OCR compliance.

Sherwood requested two things: that the board grant the foundation approval to move forward with the proposed changes and that it grant the foundation approval to change the building's name should a new donor request it.

Board president Marlis Robberts was concerned about the Clark for which the building was named and requested more information about that person be available at the Feb. 12 meeting, when the foundation's requests will be up for vote.

Director of Facilities and Maintenance Tim Kesterke said before work can begin on Clark Field House, the district must separate the storm and sewer systems that run catty-corner across Bracewell. That project will cost about $48,000.

Early retirement

Of the 57 teacher eligible for the district's early retirement plan, five applied: Title 1 reading and math teacher Karen Dewey, family consumer sciences teacher Mary Smith, guidance counselor John "Jack" Wail, level 1 special education teacher Sandy Walz and language arts teacher Ruth Wittenmyer.

The district will be able to save some money by hiring less experienced, and less costly, replacements. The exact amount saved won't be known until new hires are made, but Business Director Greg Reynolds estimated it will be about $20,000 per employee. It had been hoped more money could be saved through attrition, but that doesn't seem likely.

"The best way to capitalize is not to rehire. Really, when you look at (the positions), I don't think there's going to be any we can do that with," Coen said before adding it might be possible not to fill the high school guidance counselor position.

Smith will be the most difficult to replace. Iowa State University's teaching college is the only one to offer a family consumer science program in the state.

The district will pay out $56,500 per year for two years for an estimated total impact of $113,000. That's less than half the cap the board approved last month, which was a total of $242,500 in payouts.

The estimated cost to the management levy is 6 cents.

Other business

The board approved a Transition Alliance Program assistant position. The new position will be paid for with an increase in federal grant funds through the Iowa Department of Public Health and will have no financial impact on the district.

The grant is for about $35,000. If the grant runs out, the position no longer will exist.

TAP is a program that helps students with disabilities prepare for independent living and become career and college ready. The new position will involve monitoring participants, assisting in skill development and job training, instructional training, communication with business, completing reports and evaluations, and helping individuals access community resources.

Tuesday
Jan 9, 2018 at 12:01 AM Jan 9, 2018 at 12:06 AM

Michaele Niehaus

Clark Field House may get a new name to go along with its new locker rooms.

Jerry Sherwood, president of the Purple and Gray Foundation, told the Burlington School Board Monday the booster club plans to move forward with the third phase of its plans for Bracewell Stadium, which will involve renovating the locker rooms inside Clark Field House as well as adding new ones.

The first phase included a new video scoreboard, LED lights, the press box and concession stand. That phase was completed in 2014. The second phase consisted of renovations to the entrances, retaining walls, Field Turf, a water feature and Victory Bell Plaza. Those phases were complete in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

The third and final phase will cost an estimated $800,000, but none of that will come out of the district's pocket. The Purple and Gray Foundation will raise the money.

"Those locker rooms are exactly the same as when I was in school," said Sherwood, who graduated before the current Burlington High School was built. "Basically, this needs to be done. So, with that in mind, we're proposing that the Purple and Gray does this work."

An additional locker room for visiting teams will be built on to Clark Field House directly north of where the public restrooms are, and the existing locker rooms will be expanded for home teams.

Superintendent Pat Coen pointed out the renovation plans will bring the building, which had the most Office of Civil Rights violations due to lack of accessibility, into OCR compliance.

Sherwood requested two things: that the board grant the foundation approval to move forward with the proposed changes and that it grant the foundation approval to change the building's name should a new donor request it.

Board president Marlis Robberts was concerned about the Clark for which the building was named and requested more information about that person be available at the Feb. 12 meeting, when the foundation's requests will be up for vote.

Director of Facilities and Maintenance Tim Kesterke said before work can begin on Clark Field House, the district must separate the storm and sewer systems that run catty-corner across Bracewell. That project will cost about $48,000.

Early retirement

Of the 57 teacher eligible for the district's early retirement plan, five applied: Title 1 reading and math teacher Karen Dewey, family consumer sciences teacher Mary Smith, guidance counselor John "Jack" Wail, level 1 special education teacher Sandy Walz and language arts teacher Ruth Wittenmyer.

The district will be able to save some money by hiring less experienced, and less costly, replacements. The exact amount saved won't be known until new hires are made, but Business Director Greg Reynolds estimated it will be about $20,000 per employee. It had been hoped more money could be saved through attrition, but that doesn't seem likely.

"The best way to capitalize is not to rehire. Really, when you look at (the positions), I don't think there's going to be any we can do that with," Coen said before adding it might be possible not to fill the high school guidance counselor position.

Smith will be the most difficult to replace. Iowa State University's teaching college is the only one to offer a family consumer science program in the state.

The district will pay out $56,500 per year for two years for an estimated total impact of $113,000. That's less than half the cap the board approved last month, which was a total of $242,500 in payouts.

The estimated cost to the management levy is 6 cents.

Other business

The board approved a Transition Alliance Program assistant position. The new position will be paid for with an increase in federal grant funds through the Iowa Department of Public Health and will have no financial impact on the district.

The grant is for about $35,000. If the grant runs out, the position no longer will exist.

TAP is a program that helps students with disabilities prepare for independent living and become career and college ready. The new position will involve monitoring participants, assisting in skill development and job training, instructional training, communication with business, completing reports and evaluations, and helping individuals access community resources.

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